Evans knows they will finish strong

Bob Redman

10/29/2012

A lot went wrong Saturday in Jacksonville and some things were taken away from this Florida football team, but most of the players on the team are not willing to let it end their season completely. There are four games left to play on the regular season including this weekend's Missouri game and these Gators have to get back up off the mat and finish like they have in most every game this year.

By all accounts Josh Evans is having a great senior year. Evans also had a great game against Georgia finishing second on the team in tackles and hauling in an interception and return. He would trade it all for the gators to have finished the game with a win, but they came up just short.

There is still a lot of football to play.

"We've been in this situation before," Josh Evans said of losing. "It's all about how you get back now and that is what the talk was about in the locker room… getting back on pace and don't let this bother us and the team finish the season.

"You get punched in the face, you have to get back up. It is a building thing right now. We won't hold our heads down. We will be back next week worried about Missouri.

The defense did their part on Saturday. Despite Florida handing the ball to Georgia six extra times on turnovers, the Bull dogs were held to 17 pints and toothless for most of the game. Florida hauled in three interceptions on the night and made life miserable for star quarterback Aaron Murray on all but one series of the game.

"I think we played pretty well on defense," Evans said. "We created turnovers. That is what we talked about since day one, creating turnovers for our offense."

Evans said the boys aren't blaming each other. The fumbles were huge and junior tight end Jordan may have helped tie it with a touchdown he was just two yards from making when he fumbled near the end of the game. Still, the defense had their issues as well, especially with penalties.

"I actually thought he was going in for the touchdown," Evans said of Reed. "It hurt, but we are playing the next play. It isn't his fault, it's a team loss.

"(The penalties) were crucial at certain times, especially at the point in the game when we were trying to come back."

These guys have worked hard through the off-season and into the season. They have come back from deficits in most of their games this year. It is a tough group and one that Evans thinks will fight together through the adversity.

"Last year we didn't bounce back," he said. "Our quarterback was out and we had a rookie coming in there and it hurt us. I am confident in this team and trusting all of my teammates that we will bounce back."